


The Fish Bowl

by thecolorashley



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Depression, Drowning, Fluff, Laura being the sassy teen I know she was, M/M, Sibling Bonding, and Derek being a mood judy as always, attempted suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-21 21:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/602318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecolorashley/pseuds/thecolorashley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of his sister Laura, Derek Hale left Beacon Hills, California and everything that came with it. For years, he pretends not to notice the letters with his parents return address on it and he especially doesn't notice that they're the only ones who even attempt to contact him. However, a few months before the fifth year anniversary of Laura's death, Derek buys a first class ticket back home and is quickly reminded of all the reasons he left. Except for one: Laura's talkative and eccentric best friend, Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

      The thing about misery is that it’s typically misconstrued. Misery loves company? Give me a break. Misery does _not_ love company. No, misery masks itself behind the unexpected only to jump out and catch you square in the jaw with its fists. Misery doesn’t love company because misery is always looking for ways to get rid of its accompaniment. Misery is shaking those extra few pills out of the bottle into your hand and snickering, “Bet it takes someone days to find you.” Misery has its icy grip against yours on the steering wheel, forcing realizations like, “This could easily look like an accident. Just a slight flick of the wrist and it’s all over.”

 

You see, there just isn’t any way misery could love company when it spends the entirety of its time cleaning the world of the miserable. Maybe a few months ago I wouldn’t have thought this but back then, misery wasn’t raking its boney fingers through my hair in the most comforting gesture it can manage while I shakily step closer and closer to the ocean.

 

It’s mid January here on the west coast and, despite the rest of the countries assumptions of California being some sort of eternal summer land where its residence veins run with tanning oil, it’s cold. January, post hallmark holiday cheer, actually has very little to offer. Annually, the month crawls by, hand in hand with misery. Don’t be fooled. Very soon, misery will grow anxious and rip January from its position of power in only the time it takes the clock to tick from one second to the next. “Come, February..” Misery will taunt. “You can’t possibly do any worse than last year, right?”

 

Perhaps, January is wary of its inevitable downfall because with it, it has brought some rather nasty winds. Which would explain the needle like droplets of salt water attacking my bare skin. Not that I feel much of it anyway. I don’t feel much of anything these days.

 

Which sounds cliché and over done and believe me I’ve never been one to exactly ‘jump on a band wagon’ but it’s appropriate. I feel numb. Which is why I don’t shiver when my bare feet hit the wet dock leading out into the angry ocean or flinch when the waves crash against the wood and dampen my clothes. Feeling numb is why I’m here in the first place. This was the last place I ever saw her. Laura, I mean. I guess I haven’t mentioned her yet, which is pretty ridiculous of me since this has everything to do with her. This story isn’t even about me. It was never suppose to be about me.

 

This is the story of Laura Hale and how she ruined my life.

 

Maybe I should rephrase that. No, Laura Hale was not my ‘one that got away.’ She was not the Louis Lane to my Clark Kent, she did not break my heart. She didn’t leave me for some hunk or standing alone at the alter or anything like that. No, Laura was not the female antagonist in my cliché, teenage excuse for a story. Though sometimes I wish she would have been. It could have made things a bit easier.

Somewhere above me the sky roars and the ocean responds with a wave that crashes against wood underneath my feet. I pause and take a shaky breath. In the daylight, the dock I’m walking on is typically sprinkled with tourists of all nationalities and ages. It’s sort of like how France has the Eiffel Tower, we have these dock views of the ocean and tourists just lose their minds over it. I mean, its just water right? Just water.

 

I can’t help but wonder if it’ll remain the to-see tourist spot once they find my body in the water underneath. Will they re-name it the “Stiles Stilinski Memorial Dock” and will my friends and family casually avoid it for the rest of their lives? Will tourists cock their heads, shrug their shoulders, and think, “I wonder why?” Will dogs piss on it?

 

“Stiles.”

 

I jump. I’d like to lie and tell you I’m some sort of acrobat but that crusade would last about as long as William Henry Harrison’s presidency. So as these things go with your typical “more clumsy than average but overall loveable” teenage protagonist, I flail my arms in surprised circles, spinning around on my heels and nearly falling into the ocean in the process.

 

My pursuer throws his hands up, palms facing me in a surrender type gesture, eyes wide like he’s surprised I’d lose my balance. _Me._ I mean, I wouldn’t hesitate to put Stiles: Prince of Cats on a business card but that doesn’t mean I always land on my feet.

 

The reality of the moment suddenly rushes to the surface of my conscious with the same ferocious intensity of the waves against the shore and it's like waking up from a nightmare.

 

“Stiles, hold up!” He calls again, taking every step toward me with such caution that I could have easily mistaken myself for a wild animal. Perhaps I am and my pursuer is afraid I’ll dash away if startled. Maybe I will. Wouldn’t that be fun for some news editor to print: Teenage boy screeches then jumps into ocean when confronted with human contact.

 

Oh. It probably would have benefited you to know my name by now. It’s Stiles, if you hadn’t caught on to that. I mean, that’s not what’s written officially on my birth certificate but it’s what I go by. If you want, go ahead and assume my birth name is French or Laotian or whatever and therefor impossible to pronounce. Fancy and foreign, if you will. Pinky out.

 

“I, uh..” My pursuer stutters and I watch him through slanted eyes, mouth agape. “You weren’t at the grave yard.” He finally settles on, shifting his weight as another wave dampens the edge of his jeans.

 

“Why were you at the graveyard, Derek?” I ask it without thinking, almost surprised by the steadiness of my own voice. You’d think being caught red handed in an attempted suicide by your best friend’s older brother would warrant at least a hiccup. 

 

“I thought you’d be visiting..” He pauses as if suddenly regretting his answer, raising a hand and nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “Laura. I thought you’d be with Laura.”

 

I let my eyes drift shut for a moment, a brief surge of emotion pounding in my chest dramatized even further by a crack of lightening over my left shoulder.

 

When I open them again, I look directly into Derek’s eyes and let the moment linger. That misery I was talking about earlier? It loves him. Misery expands out from his pupils and pulls down at the skin under his eyes. Misery swims in his chest and tightens it, licking its lips proudly as it sinks its teeth into his every muscle. Derek, he reeks of misery worse than I do.

 

“I didn’t want you to be alone tonight.”

 

Misery hates company and, for a long time since Laura’s death, I thought I did too. But in this moment, I don’t. And, though I would have asked for anyone else had I be asked, Derek’s company may have saved my life.


	2. Chapter 2

 

      The same year that Derek graduated high school, Laura graduated from eighth grade and the two simultaneously spent the thereafter summer stressing over what was to come. The only difference between the two was that Derek dealt with anxiety by way of hiding behind furrowed eyebrows and short responses while Laura actively sought out answers like a modern day Sherlock Holmes. It was almost alarming how the two were on such opposite spectrums of human personalities and on more than one occasion, they’d dealt with comments such as, “You two are related _how_?”

 

However, despite the silent vow Derek seemingly had taken to respond to everyone who confronted him with exaggerated eye rolls and sarcastic remarks, Laura never for a moment faltered in her quest to unravel every mystery there was to be solved about high school.

 

“Okay but you’re sure I can wear flip flops?” Laura persisted, circling around Derek’s beat up Chevy Impala while he loaded her wrestling sports bag into the trunk.

 

“I don’t know, I’ve never worn them myself.”

 

“Which is something we mortals all continue to be grateful for, Derek.” Laura rolled off mock sincerely, pulling roughly at the passenger side door handle and dropping into the seat. Derek rolled his eyes, pulling down the top of the trunk with a bit more force than necessary. He mumbled something Laura couldn’t hear under his breath as he sauntered toward his own driver side door. The whole gloom and doom act was something typical to Derek’s overall self. However, the very edge of his lips tugged slightly up, traitorously giving him away. Luckily, by the time he exaggeratedly dropped himself into his own seat, the smile had once again vanished leaving Laura clueless.

  
“So wait.. Is it true that someone _died_ after eating the tatter tots?”

 

Thus, had become the norm of their summer schedule. Since Derek’s social life was about as active as a comatose victim, he had taken to driving Laura to and from her many different sports practices, if only to get out of the house for a few hours. Only two years prior, it had been their mothers responsibility to attend to Laura’s busy schedule but nearly the moment Derek passed his drivers test, the older woman dropped a pair of keys into his hands with a passing, “Oh thank god.” At first, it had felt like a burden having to drive his little sister all over the place. However, after a while, the two began to cherish their personal car rides. Turns out, despite all their contrasts, the two got along pretty well.

 

“Is it hard to make friends?”” Laura suddenly asked after a few minutes of nervous fidgeting, her voice only momentarily dropping to a rare state of nerves. Laura, who might as well have been ninety pounds of courage and self-esteem, glanced nervously up at her brother through her eyelashes.

 

“Nah..” Derek started, something tugging at his chest. Here was his younger sister, more bold and funny than anyone he’d ever met, asking him if she would make friends. For now, he was still her cool older brother. Every little thing he did during his high school years, she ogled at in fascination and she had never once questioned why he never brought anyone back to the house. He felt a steady lump grow in his throat and quickly swallowed it back down. “You just have to chose your friends wisely.”

 

Laura didn’t bring it up again the whole rest of the ride, instead switching their topic of conversation over to which teachers were to be avoided and which were in her best benefit to befriend, and after about twenty minutes they reached the high school she had been obsessing over. Laura’s dedication to sports in junior high had easily landed her a spot on the freshmen teams, which, for Laura was fantastic! For Derek, it just meant more driving.

 

“Two thirty?” Derek asked, cutting Laura off mid sentence about the French fries. Or possibly the French teacher. Laura was very skilled in the art of carrying on one sided conversations and Derek’s mind had started to wander.

 

Laura bounced from her seat and out into the parking lot before Derek barely had a chance to put the car in park, rounding to the trunk and tossing her bag over a single shoulder. Derek typically carried her stuff in for her but Laura had made it clear before they left that “that would make her look weak.” Which, of course, Derek had just scoffed at and rolled his eyes but really.. he got it. This was her wrestling practice, after all. She was the only female on the high school wrestling team and she got enough crap without her older brother carrying her bag for her.

 

“Um, I actually have a ride home so don’t worry about it.” She finally answered after slamming the trunk shut and leaning in the passenger side window. Derek pretended not to notice the ‘she’s growing up and doesn’t need me anymore’ growing knot in his chest.

 

“What? Who’s driving you?”

 

“Oh, just some guy I met on the internet. Said he has some puppies and cupcakes in his basement that I just _have_ to check out.”

 

Derek was about half way out of the car when Laura nearly fell into herself laughing.

 

“I can not believe you just fell for that. Seriously, it’s just.. it’s just too easy!” She exclaimed, throwing her head back in uncontrollable fits.

  
Derek didn’t even waste his time with a sigh, instead just casually reached toward the gear shift and threw the car into reverse.

 

“No wait, wait I’m sorry!” Laura called, each word still muffled by giggles. Derek lightly tapped the brake. “Genim’s dad is picking me up.”

 

“Genim..?”

 

“Really Derek? Genim. He’s come with us to like three family parties..” Laura pauses, her exasperated features only meeting blankness. “He’s on the soccer team.. You threatened to rip his throat out once.. Honestly, how did you even graduate with your memory. The teachers must have just been terrified at the idea of looking at your face for another year.”

 

Laura planted her hands on her hips, which was her latest gesture to accompany her sass. Oh what a tough life it was for Laura Hale…

 

After a good thirty seconds of blank, silent starring, Derek opened his mouth as if to counter her insult. Instead, he quickly switched tactics and removed his foot from the brake, the car almost barely missing Laura’s foot as it rolled backwards.  
  
“Okay, see you later!” She called through a wide smile and Derek watched her wave through his rearview mirror, cracking an unconscious small smile.

 

Naturally, that would not be the last time Derek would hear the name “Genim” that summer. In fact, over the next couple weeks Derek would learn a lot about Laura’s friend during their ritual car rides to and from her practices.

 

So far, he’d been able to gather that his full name was Genim Stilinski and he _hated_ that name. Laura had spent her ride to and from soccer, wrestling, AND volleyball asking Derek what he thought would be a good nickname.

 

“It has to be something clever.. but so clever that it seems like it came up by accident.” Laura said thoughtfully, running a hand through her hair. Derek had spent the previous week nearly pulling his hair out wondering how he was going to afford even one semester of college, nonetheless an entire year, and Laura’s biggest issue was handing out nicknames for misfortunately named children.

 

“How about.. uh..” Derek tried, squinting his eyes in concentration and tapping a single finger on the steering wheel. “chrome dome because isn’t he, ya know, bald?”

 

“Wow. That was beautiful, Derek, you should write poetry.” Laura rolled her eyes in a very Derek-esque manner. He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or annoyed. “And no. He shaves his head but he’s not bald. It can’t be anything that calls attention to that either.”

 

“I don’t know then.” Derek spat gruffly, falling further into his seat in a pout. Laura mimicked the motion with a sigh.

 

“You,” she grumbled, “are no help.”

 

For weeks, Laura rambled on and on about the Stilinski kid and his need for a nickname. For a while, it was easy for Derek to simply ignore but Laura’s persistence eventually drilled a need to meet this kid into Derek’s brain. He’d never seen anyone capture her attention so fully before. Was the kid made of chocolate!? What was so darn fascinating about some adolescent boy?

 

However, Laura never had the kid over to the house (which she blamed on their parents embarrassing behavior) so Derek never got the chance to meet him. Laura seemed so entranced that Derek found his own mind wandering to this Genim, even when he wasn’t with her. Sometimes in the strangest of times.

 

Quickly and stealthily, the summer passed behind the two siblings back. Derek had finally registered for classes and had taken Laura to buy a new backpack. The two prepared together for the upcoming school year without commenting on it much. They were both aware that the end of the summer meant the end of their car rides together but neither actually said it out loud. Derek would be too busy with classes and Laura could simply ride the bus home. In a way, Derek should have been relieved.

 

But for reasons he wouldn’t admit out loud, he wasn’t.

 

Despite Derek’s dread, the last day of summer before Laura started high school finally arrived.  There were no practices scheduled so Laura was home for the first time probably since she learned to walk and the two met in a very unlikely place: Their own kitchen.

 

Derek shuffled his way into the kitchen, having been awoken by the frantic voice of Mrs. Hale. He couldn’t recall her being this worked up on his first day of high school but, then again, they had always called Derek the “easier child.”

 

“Pencils.. Notebooks.. Kleenex..” Mrs. Hale recited, not even burdening herself to look up from her list as Derek entered the room.

 

“Once again.. yes, yes, and yes.” Laura groaned back, dramatically dropping her head onto the kitchen table. Derek smirked.

 

“Have you laid out your outfit for tomorrow?”

  
“What? Why would I do that?”

 

“Well, you don’t want to waste time-“ Laura immediately cut off her mother with a sigh so Derek-esque, it almost startled him.

 

“It will take me all of two seconds to pull a pair of jeans from my drawer. Scouts honor, mother.”

  
The older woman pressed her lips together, dropping the hand written list she’d been reading from onto the counter.

 

“Well, don’t let me burden you.” Mrs. Hale exclaimed, stomping past them and out of the kitchen, mumbling something along the lines of “might as well be your brother” as she went.

 

Laura groaned, covering her head with her arms.

  
“Dang..” Derek finally said through a small grin. “It must be really tough being the golden child.”

 

“Shut up.” Laura immediately shot back, however her tone completely lack of malice. “Okay, we need out. Dad came home late again last night so mom is _raging._ So not in the mood to deal with that.” Laura swiftly reached into the pocket of her baggy shorts and pulled out her phone. “I’ll gather some people. You up for ultimate Frisbee today?”

 

Derek responded with silence. Laura had never invited him to actually hang out with her friends before and he wasn’t sure whether to handle the moment with embarrassment or appreciation.

 

“Isn’t uh..” he tried, stumbling over his own thoughts, “isn’t ultimate Frisbee kind of for dorks?”

 

“Yeah, exactly. So you’ll fit right in. You in or out?” Laura spat back swiftly, without even looking up from her phone. However, after a few moments of no response from Derek, she finally glanced up through her long eyelashes and shrugged. “Come on, man. Genim will be there! Oh! And get this! I think I’ve finally thought of a good nickname for him!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, if you just read that entire thing.. Congratulations! I love you! Here, have some hugs.
> 
> I know it's popular opinion to assume the Hale family was the definition of a "big happy family" before the fire but, in this, I wanted to sort of explore how the two siblings would react to a dysfunctional home life. I'll reveal later more about why Laura and Derek are so sour toward their parents but for now, this is how I'd imagine they'd react. Derek retreating for the most part from any social interaction that isn't necessary and Laura joining every sport and club possible to avoid ever being home to deal with it.
> 
> If you haven't gathered, Genim Stilinski is Stiles. During the parent teacher scene in season one, the Sheriff points to a file that says "Genim Stilinski" on it when the coach questions him about Stile's real name. This will pretty much be the only chapter he's referred to as Genim, though. So no worries.
> 
> Please feel free to leave feedback and find me on tumblr at thecolourashley
> 
> Thanks again for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> There are a lot of things I wish I could explain but, unfortunately, it would ruin the experience of the story. Here is what I can spoil, however:
> 
> \- This is set in an AU. No werewolves, sorry!  
> \- Every once in a while, the story switches between before and after Laura's death.  
> .Before: Stiles and Laura are sophomores in High School, Derek is a sophomore in college.  
> .After: Stiles is twenty-one and Derek is twenty-five.  
> \- Stiles knew and was good friends with Laura Hale before she died.  
> \- I'm aware that it is generally assumed that Laura was older than Derek.  
> \- This is Sterek based but with a slow build up. Don't expect any snogging in the first few chapters.
> 
> Well, there it is! The first chapter of The Fish Bowl! Obviously there are a lot of loose ends but they will all be explained in the future chapters. Please feel free to leave feedback! I always appreciate constructive criticism.
> 
> I also have a Tumblr. Feel free to find me! My url is thecolourashley
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


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